Yesterday, the LGBTQ+ community in Tanzania went on high alert after Paul Makonda, a governor in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, announced the creation of a surveillance team dedicated to hunting down LGBTQ+ people. According to Governor Makonda, the operation was launched to find, arrest, and “educate” gay people. The Independent reported that 1000 names have […]
Ethiopia Appoints its First Female President
Last week, Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed appointed Sahle-Work Zewde as Ethiopia’s first woman president and she will serve as president for the next six years. Sahle-Work Zewde is currently the only female head of state in Africa, although Ethiopia is one of many African nations who have had a female head of state. After […]
Russian Authorities Refusing Investigations into Domestic Violence
A Human Rights Watch report found that Russian authorities do not investigate women’s claims of domestic violence and abuses because domestic violence is decriminalized in Russia. Instead, police recommend that women return to their abusers, leaving women with virtually no protection from intimate partner violence. Further, the report discovered that women are often blamed for […]
Record Numbers of Afghan Women Vote and Run for Office in Afghan Elections Amid Violence
Despite Taliban threats of violence on Election Day, record numbers of Afghan women and men turned out to vote in the Afghan parliamentary elections on October 20th and 21st. In total, some 45% of Afghan registered voters cast a ballot including at least 33% of Afghan women voters. In some areas almost 50% of the […]
Top Afghan General Assassinated by Taliban
Last week, General Abdul Raziq of Afghanistan, 39, along with the Intelligence Chief and Governor of Kandahar City were fatally shot in Afghanistan by one of their bodyguards after leaving a meeting.
First Woman Summits Afghanistan’s Tallest Mountain
On August 10th around 6:30pm, Hanifa Yousoufi made history by being the first woman to summit Mt. Noshaq in Afghanistan. Mt. Noshaq is Afghanistan’s tallest peak, and is 4,000 feet higher than the tallest peak in North America.
Historic Number of Women Running for Afghan Parliament.
On September 28, candidates for the Afghan parliament launched their campaigns ahead of the October 20 elections. Of the 2,565 people running, a historic 417 are women. According to data by The World Bank, the number of seats in parliament held by women rose from 4 percent in 1990 to 28 percent in 2017.
350 Afghan Women Certified by USAID
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Women’s Leadership Development program, Promote, awarded over 350 Afghan women certificates of accomplishment last week.
Victory in the Fight to End Virginity Testing in Afghanistan
A major breakthrough was secured for Afghan women last week following a new policy that aims to prohibit virgin testing across health care facilities.
Afghan Women Break Glass Ceilings
Women in Afghanistan are being celebrated for unprecedented rises in female leadership and activism across social, political, and economic spheres.
Saudi Arabia Arrests Women’s Rights Activists
The government of Saudi Arabia has arrested numerous women’s rights activists less than a month before the country is due to formally legalize female drivers. The women, who worked as vocal campaigners’ in the #women2drive movement, have been charged with suspicious activity and crimes of treason, a common smear and intimidation tactic employed by Saudi authorities to denigrate political activists.
Afghan Girls Robotics Team Continues Success
After first gaining fame in the summer of 2017, the Afghan Girls Robotic Team continues to wow the world following an incredible international tour. The most recent success for the team of six young women was in Ontario, Canada, where they were honored with the For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) Award.
Journalists Killed While Covering Explosion in Kabul, Afghanistan
ISIS took credit for the attacks which killed 30 civilians including nine journalists.
Saudi Women Can Now Win Custody of Kids After Divorce
According to a statement from the Saudi Information Ministry, women in the country can now gain custody of their children after a divorce without having to file a lawsuit as long as there are no disputes between the parents.
Today is International Women’s Day
In recognition that we are all in this together, many feminist organizations in the United States and around the globe focus not just on the empowerment of women in their own communities, but around the world, including the Feminist Majority Foundation (FMF).
State Department Report to Downplay Global Women’s Rights Violations
In the latest attack on women’s global health, officials at the United States State Department Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor will curtail the section on women’s reproductive rights and family planning in the annual report on human rights.
Delegation of Afghan Women Discuss Country’s Progress
A delegation of eight high-ranking Afghan women officials visited Washington DC last week to discuss their country’s progress in women’s equality, fiscal reforms, peace efforts and foreign relations. The delegates included:
Afghan Women Coders Make Anti-Drug Trafficking Video Game
A group of Afghan women who broke gender barriers by becoming the first female coders in the country have designed a game called “Fight against Opium,” underscoring Afghanistan’s struggle to combat opium trafficking.
Afghan Girls Robotics Team Back in the US
On January 5, the Afghan Girls Robotics Team, who became famous after they were denied a visa to enter the U.S. for an international robotics competition in summer 2017, came back to the United States to attend, speak and exhibit their newest robot at the 4th annual Raw Science Film Festival.
Talks of Reparations for South Korean “Comfort Women” End
South Korea announced that it will not be pursuing renegotiations with the Japanese government over reparations for South Koreans victimized by the Imperial Japanese Army sex slave trade during World War II.